Improvement in bell-annunciators



0. PILOUT. Bell-Annunoiator.

No. 213.834. Patented April 1,1879.

N. PETERS. PHOTCLUTHOGRAPNEE WASHINGTON. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

OAMILLE PILOUT, OF RIOHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BELL-ANNUNCIATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,834, dated April 1, 1879 application filed November 26, 1878.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O. PILOUT, of Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bell-Annunciators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side view. Fig. 2 is a crosssection. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a top view, and Fig. 5 is one of the bearing-plates F detached.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like letters of reference.

This invention relates to signal-annunciators for hotels, boarding-houses, and private dwellin gs; and it consists in certain improvements in the construction of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, A represents the box or frame, which consists of end pieces, a a, and a top piece, a, which are clamped between the side pieces, A A the former of which is provided with brackets 11, having perforations, in order that the device may be secured by nails or screws to the wall of the room in which it is to be located. Bolts b are employed to secure the frame-pieces together.

The end pieces, a, are provided each with two rows or tiers of slots, 8 s, to accommodate the longitudinal sliding bars B B. The bodies or central portions of these bars are all on the same plane; but the ends of the bars B are curved or extended upwardly, so as to adapt said bars to slide in the upper slots, 8, while thebars B slide in the lower slots, 8. By this arrangement greater convenience is gained for the attachment to the bars of the operating wires and springs than if the ends of the bars B B, which, as will be seen in Fig. 2, are arranged in alternate order, were all on the same planer A bell-crank, D, pivoted to a bracket, d, upon side piece A, carries a spring, 0 to the end of which is secured a bell, O. The upper end of bell-crank D is extended inwardly through frame A, the sides of which are slotted to receive it directly above the central portions of the bars B B. A spring, 0, secured to a bracket, 0, upon side piece A, acts upon the end of the extension of bellcrank D, forcing it in a forward direction. Each of the bars B B is provided with a stud, 0, arranged just in front of the extension of bell-crank D, so that whenever one of said bars is operated orpulled in a rearward direction said bell-crank will be operated upon by the stud 0 and ring the bell.

The top plate,a, is provided with two transverse rows of slots, t t, each of the former placed directly above one of the bars B, and each of the latter above one of the bars B. The signal-plates E E, each of which is lettered or numbered to indicate a certain room in the house or hotel, are arranged in said slots. Said signal-plates are provided with shanks G G, having downwardly-projecting fingers ff and rearwardly-projecting shoulders g g. WVhen the signal-plates are in an upright position the shoulders g g rest upon the top plate and support the plates in such position. The plates are pivoted upon rods B It, passing through the forward portions of the shanks G G. Said rods are arranged in recesses in the top plate and the side pieces A A and are retained in position by plates F F, which are secured upon the top piece, a, by screws or otherwise, and are provided with fingers h h, which project rearwardly between the shanks of the signalplates, and perform the double function of clasping and holding the rods B It in position, and forming firmer and more substantial bearings for the signal-plates than are afforded by the top plate, (1, alone. Directly in front of the fingers f f of the signal-plates the bars B B are provided with studs or projections p p, for the purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

The forward ends of the bars B B should be connected by coiled springs to a bracket or some other suitable fixed point. Their rear ends are suitably connected by wire and bellcranks to the respective rooms of the house or hotel.

In operation, when one of the bars B or B is operated or pulled in a rearward direction, the hell 0 will be sounded by the extension of crank D being struck by the projection 0 upon such bar, thus attracting the attention of the waiter or attendant. At the same time the downwardly-projecting fingerforf oi the sigrial-plate arranged above the bar just operated will be struck by the projection p or 12 upon such bar, thus throwing the signal-plate forward out of its regular line, thus enabling its letter or number to be distinctly seen. In this position it will be supported by the finger forf, which strikes and rests against the under side of the top plate, a, and it will thus remain until replaced by hand to its original position. The bar B or B will be automatiand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- As an improvement in signai-annnnciators, the frame A, having slotted top piece, a, and slotted end pieces, a a, bell-crank D,longitudinal sliding bars B B, having studs or projections 0 p p, rods R R, having pivoted signalplates E E, provided with fingers f f and shoulders g g, and plates F F, having fingers h h, all combined and operating substantially as herein described, for the purpose show 11 and specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CAMILLE PILOUT.

Witnesses LOUIS RAWLINGS, It. 11. GILLIAM. 

